100 ELECTROCHEMISTRY OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS.

Pyroracemic Acid. — Potassium pyroracemate gives (Hofer)-*
chiefly acetic acid and also a little diacetyl:

=CH3COOH+C02;
II. 2CH3 -CO - COO = CH3 • CO • CO - CH3 + 2C02,

Rockwell 2 found at %he anode some acetaldehyde, and
at the cathode the normal reduction product of pyroracemie
acid, i.e. a-lactic acid:

CH8-CO.COOH+H2-CH3-CHOH-COOH;

also some propionic acid, probably formed by further reduction.
Lsevulinic Acid. — This acid is much better adapted for the
synthesis of the corresponding diketone -than, is pyroracemie
acid. Hofer,3 on electrolyzing the potassium salt of the acid*
obtained about 50% of the theoretically expected quantity of
2.7-octandion:

2CH3-CO-CH2-OH2-COO

Considerable quantities of acetic acid are also formed, and some
• carbon monoxide is produced by the oxidation of the methylene

, groups.

Acetoacetic Acid. — If the sodium compound of acetoacetie
• ester (Weems4) in alcoholic solution is electrolyzed, there is

' formed diacetylsuccinic ester:

" COCH8 COCH3

' I I

2CHNa =2CH +2 Na

, | )

' COOC2H6 COOC2H6

. ' COCH3

'• 'I
! 2CH =C2H5OOC-CH.CH.COOC2H5

(; COOC2H5 H3CCO COCH8.

fj - • -

| HI » Ber. d. deutsch. chem. Gesellsch. 33, 650 (1900).

I !i * Journ. Amer. Chem. Soc, 24, 719 (1902).

J «, sl. c.

;4s;f Amer. Chem. Journ. 16, 569 (1894).

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